Kilgore House on University of Alabama campus scheduled to be razed today

Demolition crew lets preservationist remove items on Monday

The Kilgore House is seen on the campus of the University of Alabama on Monday. The Kilgore House is slated to be demolished today to make way for a student plaza.

Dusty Compton | The Tuscaloosa News

By Stephanie TaylorStaff Writer

Published: Tuesday, May 14, 2013 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Monday, May 13, 2013 at 11:20 p.m.

A bulldozer sat idle behind one of the oldest buildings on the University of Alabama campus most of Monday while preservationists combed through the house trying to save some architectural elements.

Demolition crews plan to demolish the Kilgore House today to make way for a student plaza.

“While I'm sad that the house will be gone, I'm very pleased that they worked with us to get a few of these pieces out,” said Ian Crawford, director of the Jemison-Van de Graaff Mansion on Greensboro Avenue.

The Queen Anne-style house was built in 1890 for the engineer at Bryce Hospital, the state psychiatric hospital. The Kilgore family rented rooms in what became known as the Kilgore Ranch to some of the university's first female students between 1905 and 1908, and it was the home of the school's first female faculty member.

UA officials said last week that demolition was scheduled because no potential buyers came forward. An interested Northport couple told The News last year that the cost of moving the house was prohibitive. Online opposition to the demolition plans included a Facebook group called Save The Kilgore House.

Signs were hung Sunday on the temporary fence that has been erected around the house. “UA Sends Landmark to Landfill” and “Shame on UA” were among the banners that were removed Monday morning.

“I hope that we can all take this as a lesson and not let it happen again,” Crawford said. “You only have so much to lose before it's gone and you're Anywhere, USA.”

Crawford salvaged spindles from the staircase and newel posts that are almost identical to those at the antebellum Jemison-­Van de Graaff mansion.

The floor plan of the Kilgore House was an L-shaped Victorian, but the interior design elements were in the Italianate style — retro at the time and similar to Bryce and the Van de Graaff house.

“The architecture itself is unique and unlike anything on campus,” said Rebecca Minder, digital media editor for Alabama Heritage. The magazine, published by UA, the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the Alabama Department of Archives and History, was housed in the building until last summer.

“They really are being very helpful by allowing us to take a few pieces for preservation,” Minder said.

Among the items that were salvaged was a window pane etched with the signature of Charles Kilgore, the first engineer who worked for Bryce Hospital.

Bryce patients completed much of the construction of the house, a Queen Anne-style home built for Kilgore and his family in 1890. Other items salvaged include the front door, a stained glass window and mantels.

“The house is not structurally safe,” said Minder, who walked through the house Monday morning. “It would be too much to try to restore, and it would not get very far if anyone tried moving it.”

The university has plans to build a student plaza on the property with an outdoor dining pavilion.

“This plaza will serve as an extension of the new Fresh Foods Dining facility and Rodgers Library, and will provide students with a tranquil setting for a study break or to enjoy a meal from Fresh Foods,” UA media relations director Cathy Andreen said Friday afternoon.

Tim Higgins, one of the founders of the newly formed Preserve Tuscaloosa, said he was disappointed that the university didn't designated the house for another use.

“The university said that they wanted it to be a tranquil place for students. They could have turned it into a coffee house. What would be more tranquil than a turn-of-the-century house that's full of natural light that's open and breezy?” he said.

Higgins said that the demolition of the house is part of what he calls a disturbing trend of bulldozing the city's charm and character.

Higgins and Preserve Tuscaloosa have vocally opposed a multimillion development that is planned across from Capitol Park that would mean the demolition of some older homes.

“Preservation is one thing that has proven to generate money, to generate walkability and sustainability. It keeps people interested in an area or a campus,” he said.

Julian Sparks is a UA graduate who is president of the Guntersville Historical Society.

“I wonder why the Kilgore House cannot be placed in the scheme of the new addition, much like the Gorgas House is on the University of Alabama's main campus,” he wrote in an email. The Gorgas House, built in 1829, was the first structure on campus. It was the original dining hall for students and was a faculty residence before being turned into a museum.

The Kilgore House was the remaining structure that represented the post-Civil War era on campus, Crawford said. After most of the campus was burned by Union troops during the Civil War, faculty members and others opened their on- or near-campus homes as dormitories and for classroom instruction, he said.

“We understand that not everything can be taken care of and saved,” Crawford said. “There's the common excuse that it would cost so much, but preservation is not always turning a structure into a house museum. History is more than just the beautiful houses with the white columns.”

<p>A bulldozer sat idle behind one of the oldest buildings on the University of Alabama campus most of Monday while preservationists combed through the house trying to save some architectural elements. </p><p>Demolition crews plan to demolish the Kilgore House today to make way for a student plaza. </p><p>“While I'm sad that the house will be gone, I'm very pleased that they worked with us to get a few of these pieces out,” said Ian Crawford, director of the Jemison-Van de Graaff Mansion on Greensboro Avenue. </p><p>The Queen Anne-style house was built in 1890 for the engineer at Bryce Hospital, the state psychiatric hospital. The Kilgore family rented rooms in what became known as the Kilgore Ranch to some of the university's first female students between 1905 and 1908, and it was the home of the school's first female faculty member. </p><p>UA officials said last week that demolition was scheduled because no potential buyers came forward. An interested Northport couple told The News last year that the cost of moving the house was prohibitive. Online opposition to the demolition plans included a Facebook group called Save The Kilgore House. </p><p>Signs were hung Sunday on the temporary fence that has been erected around the house. “UA Sends Landmark to Landfill” and “Shame on UA” were among the banners that were removed Monday morning.</p><p>“I hope that we can all take this as a lesson and not let it happen again,” Crawford said. “You only have so much to lose before it's gone and you're Anywhere, USA.”</p><p>Crawford salvaged spindles from the staircase and newel posts that are almost identical to those at the antebellum Jemison-­Van de Graaff mansion.</p><p>The floor plan of the Kilgore House was an L-shaped Victorian, but the interior design elements were in the Italianate style — retro at the time and similar to Bryce and the Van de Graaff house.</p><p>“The architecture itself is unique and unlike anything on campus,” said Rebecca Minder, digital media editor for Alabama Heritage. The magazine, published by UA, the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the Alabama Department of Archives and History, was housed in the building until last summer. </p><p>“They really are being very helpful by allowing us to take a few pieces for preservation,” Minder said.</p><p>Among the items that were salvaged was a window pane etched with the signature of Charles Kilgore, the first engineer who worked for Bryce Hospital. </p><p>Bryce patients completed much of the construction of the house, a Queen Anne-style home built for Kilgore and his family in 1890. Other items salvaged include the front door, a stained glass window and mantels. </p><p>“The house is not structurally safe,” said Minder, who walked through the house Monday morning. “It would be too much to try to restore, and it would not get very far if anyone tried moving it.”</p><p>The university has plans to build a student plaza on the property with an outdoor dining pavilion.</p><p>“This plaza will serve as an extension of the new Fresh Foods Dining facility and Rodgers Library, and will provide students with a tranquil setting for a study break or to enjoy a meal from Fresh Foods,” UA media relations director Cathy Andreen said Friday afternoon.</p><p>Tim Higgins, one of the founders of the newly formed Preserve Tuscaloosa, said he was disappointed that the university didn't designated the house for another use.</p><p>“The university said that they wanted it to be a tranquil place for students. They could have turned it into a coffee house. What would be more tranquil than a turn-of-the-century house that's full of natural light that's open and breezy?” he said. </p><p>Higgins said that the demolition of the house is part of what he calls a disturbing trend of bulldozing the city's charm and character. </p><p>Higgins and Preserve Tuscaloosa have vocally opposed a multimillion development that is planned across from Capitol Park that would mean the demolition of some older homes. </p><p>“Preservation is one thing that has proven to generate money, to generate walkability and sustainability. It keeps people interested in an area or a campus,” he said.</p><p>Julian Sparks is a UA graduate who is president of the Guntersville Historical Society. </p><p>“I wonder why the Kilgore House cannot be placed in the scheme of the new addition, much like the Gorgas House is on the University of Alabama's main campus,” he wrote in an email. The Gorgas House, built in 1829, was the first structure on campus. It was the original dining hall for students and was a faculty residence before being turned into a museum.</p><p>The Kilgore House was the remaining structure that represented the post-Civil War era on campus, Crawford said. After most of the campus was burned by Union troops during the Civil War, faculty members and others opened their on- or near-campus homes as dormitories and for classroom instruction, he said.</p><p>“We understand that not everything can be taken care of and saved,” Crawford said. “There's the common excuse that it would cost so much, but preservation is not always turning a structure into a house museum. History is more than just the beautiful houses with the white columns.”</p><p>Reach Stephanie Taylor at stephanie.taylor@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0210.</p>